Top Five List

eBird hotspot data for Vieques (and pretty much everywhere else) varies from month to month, as most birds do a lot of traveling (i.e., migration). The frequencies of birds listed on this page vary slightly by season and by observer effort.

Other commonly reported species that nearly always make the top five include the Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Yellow Warbler, and Shiny Cowbird, depending on habitat type (urban vs. forest vs. coastal).

Listed below is a typical breakdown based on checklists for Vieques from May, 2026, with a data based Top Ten list at the bottom of the page.

Listed below is a data-backed Top 10 list of the most frequently reported birds in Vieques, Puerto Rico based on eBird checklist frequency patterns and regional reporting trends from Vieques hotspots and Puerto Rico eBird data.

Birds are listed in rank order, by name, scientific name, and approximate frequency on Vieques as based on eBird Checklists.

1 - Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) - 85–90%

2 - Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) - 80–85%

3 - Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) - 75–80%

4 - Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) - 70–75%

5 - Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica) - 65–70%

6 - Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) - 60–65%

7 - Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) - 55–60%

8 - Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) - 50–55%

9 - Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor - 45–50%

10 - Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) - 40–45%

A few interesting notes:

• Vieques has relatively low species diversity but very high abundance of Caribbean resident birds.

• The Bananaquit and Smooth-billed Ani are among the easiest birds to see almost anywhere on the island.

• The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is endemic to Puerto Rico and one of the island’s signature birds.

• Coastal habitats add species like pelicans, herons, and shorebirds, but those are less consistently reported across all checklists.

Please note that these rankings are inferred from eBird regional checklist frequency patterns rather than raw count totals.